 PLAYA HERRADURA
Forming a bay of lush tropical vegetation, this beach is aptly named “Horseshoe Beach” after the shape of its shoreline. Hills at either end of the beach add to the beauty of the landscape. At the north end of the beach is the Los Sueños Marina. At the south, Herradura Isle is a natural refuge for several seabird species. Playa Herradura is great for swimming and various water sports. Camping facilities are available, drawing national tourism to the beach.
PLAYA HERMOSA
A long, 10-kilometer beach on the open ocean, Playa Hermosa features strong and continuous waves, making it one of Costa Rica’s most preferred surfing beaches and the site of various national competitions. A wide variety of services are available.
PALO SECO ESTUARY
This estuary’s excellent climate and environment make it highly favorable for fishing, waterskiing, boat trips, and regattas.
PLAYA DE ESPADILLA NORTE
Espadilla Norte is very popular for swimming and various water sports, such as surfing, kayaking, boat trips, and jet skiing. A variety of tourism services are also available.
MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK
Manuel Antonio National Park’s 683 hectares boast some of the country’s most varied and breathtaking scenery. Surrounded by lush, very wet tropical forest, the park’s trails offer sightings of white-faced monkeys, sloths, coatis, raccoons, iguanas, and many bird species, as well as the Costa Rican squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus), which is endemic to Manuel Antonio—that is, it is found only in this part of the world. Increasingly endangered, at last count, these monkeys numbered only 1,500.
 The park also protects 12 islands that serve as excellent refuges for several seabird species, as well as several stunning beaches (Espadilla Sur, Manuel Antonio, and Puerto Escondido), a 14-hectare lagoon, and a mangrove swamp. Connecting Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur beaches, Punta Catedral is a place of great natural beauty. Visitor services include information, a park ranger station, trails, restrooms, drinking water, signage, and several natural viewpoints.
MANGLARES DE DAMAS
These mangrove swamps may be toured by boat or kayak. During the trip, visitors will be delighted to observe the unique flora and fauna, particularly white-faced monkeys and an infinite number of birds.
CAVERNAS DE DAMAS
These caverns are part of a 500-hectare tract set aside to protect the premontane forest. The caves contain rooms of different sizes, with stalactite and stalagmite formations.
JACÓ
At just seven meters above sea level, the town of Jacó has a large beach for enjoying sea and sun. Its proximity to San José makes it one of the most visited beaches in the country by both Costa Ricans and foreigners. Jacó offers one of the most extensive selections of tourist services in Costa Rica.
QUEPOS CITY
The seat of the Aguirre canton, Quepos maintains an important relationship with banana production activities in this part of the country. Old Banana Company structures are still preserved to this day. The town offers a variety of accommodations, dining, and recreation options, as well as spectacular scenery of the coast. Its wharf serves as a departure point for sport-fishing and recreational boat trips.
 CARARA NATIONAL PARK
Originally established as a biological preserve in 1978, this park changed management systems some years after. A transition point from dry forest to tropical wet forest, Carara consists of 5,242 ha (13,000 Acres) containing three different life zones and many native tree species valued for their wood, such as Ojoche, Guanacaste, Cristobal, and purple heart. Among the park’s wildlife are peccaries, ocelots, and white-faced monkeys. Scarlet and green macaws are the most representative bird population, which can be seen with relative ease in this park as well as on the Osa Peninsula.
RAINMAKER CANOPY WALK AND OTHER CANOPY TOURS
Located on a private preserve in the Fila Chonta mountain range, these bridges are an exceptional attraction, thanks to the spectacular scenery enjoyable from their heights.
SAN LUCAS WILDLIFE REFUGE
With an area of approximately 500 hectares, this island is lined with beaches and cliffs. Scheduled trips are offered by a handful of water transportation companies. Located between two points, the island’s main beach is called El Coco. The city of Puntarenas is visible from its gray-sand beach. San Lucas is a great place to relax, contemplate, take walks, and learn about the history of the old facilities of what was once the country’s best-known penitentiary.
 ISLA ALCATRAZ (TORTUGA) BIOLOGICAL PRESERVE
Known as Tortuga, Isla Alcatraz sits amid the waters of the Gulf of Nicoya. No hotels or tourism services are available, so that visitors who come to the island for a few hours can enjoy it in a more natural state. They may rest in the shade of the island’s palms, sunbathe on its ultra-white sands, or enjoy activities such as kayaking, or diving into its crystalline waters, or touring its forest canopies. Several tour operators and water transportation companies offer visits to the island, departing from Puntarenas, Montezuma, and Herradura.
CABO BLANCO ABSOLUTE NATURE RESERVE
Located 10 kilometers from Montezuma on the south end of the Nicoya Peninsula, this preserve protects 1,272 hectares of land and 1,700 hectares of marine territory. Cabo Blanco’s primary and secondary (in natural regeneration) forests contain around 140 tree species, both evergreen and deciduous. Wildlife includes deer, howler and white-faced monkeys, coyotes, and squirrels. In terms of seabirds, there are brown pelicans, brown boobies, frigate birds, and many more.
Cabo Blanco is a lovely area with untouched beaches that can be reached via existing trails.
ISLA DEL COCO NATIONAL PARK
This national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, due to is unparalleled natural beauty and biological wealth. At 24 square kilometers, the island features cliffs reaching 183 meters tall and an infinite number of underwater caves. Created in 1978, the park has two main bays, Wafer and Chatham, at its north end, which feature the only two sandy beaches on the island. The extraordinarily clear turquoise waters, added to the large number of rock formations, make outstanding habitat for the abundance of fish, sharks (hammerhead and white-fin), dolphins, mantas, mollusks, and the many other marine species that make this island one of the world’s most spectacular dive sites.
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